DOING GOOD THINGS DURING LOCKDOWN by Pastor Simon Aranonu

God bless you my brothers, my sisters, and everyone all over the world.

I am making this video (now converted to Text Message by DMC Media Crew) to respond to an issue that came to my attention.

I read a recent post on Facebook by a friend of mine who complained of boredom in this Season. This motivated me to respond and let you know that there is a lot that can be done in this Season.
There are about fifteen (15) things that I will share with you that you can do, and this will help you not to complain of boredom. They are:

1. GIVING THANKS TO GOD
   This period is a good time to engage in thanksgiving every morning, afternoon, and evening. Why do I say so?
   I say this because God says: “In all things, give thanks” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
   My brothers, sisters, and friends across the globe, it could have been worse than what we are seeing.
   For the fact that we are alive, we have every reason to give thanks to God especially if your family members are healthy, well preserved, and protected.
   There are many reasons why we should give thanks all day long. One of these reasons is the fact that you are not on the hospital bed.
   If you are in the hospital now hearing (or reading) this message, I want you to know that when there is life, there is hope.
   Trust God for healing and you will soon recover in the Mighty Name of Jesus – Amen.
2. IT IS THE TIME FOR YOU TO HAVE A DEEP REFLECTION
   This is a time to reflect introspectively. Thinking deeply about what I call “things that matter that we have swept into the background”.
   There are many things that matter but due to the fast pace of life, we unknowingly swept them under the rug.
   One of those things that we should reflect on is what will happen to us after we leave this earth. Our life expectancy is a maximum of one hundred and twenty (120) Years. So, ask yourself, ‘What will happen to me after here?’
   We have all been running this race of life and many of you may desire to build houses, want to have cars, and even get married. Imagine if you have all you desire now. In this current situation, none of these matter.
   Private jets are currently in hangars, the cars are parked, and the houses you want to build so people can visit and appreciate are not possible to show-off due to social distancing.
   This is a “dress rehearsal” of what will happen one day and a reflection of the way it will be when God calls us home. When that time finally comes, the things that we call important will no longer be of importance.
   Are you ready to meet your Maker if He calls you home? Will everything that you consider important still matter?
   …Certainly not.
   During this time, we can reflect on our relationship with God, our character, and behavior. Will this be said to you: ‘Welcome home, faithful servant, come and take a reward that is available for you’ ?
   So, ask yourself questions right now to decipher if you are on the right track.
   Focus more on the spiritual things than material things because the spiritual things are the ones that will last till eternity.
3. IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO PHYSICALLY EXERCISE
   Please, I would like to enforce the importance of exercise. This lockdown period does not hinder you from exercising. You can exercise in your home, room, and if you live in an estate, that would be a good environment to jog around. God did not make our physical body to be sitting down in one location.
   You can even use the limited space available outside your home to exercise and if you have a gym or an exercise equipment in your home, you can use them as well.
   The time has been made available for this to be possible because we previously did not have such time before. Let us take advantage of this time to take better care of ourselves.
4. SLEEP
   Sleep is vital during this period because we have been running around for a very long time and having three (3) to four (4) hours of sleep daily.
   Doctors recommend a minimum of eight (8) hours of sleep but now you can sleep for over ten (10) hours and no one will stop or disturb you. So, I advise you to enjoy your sleep during this period. Have fun, let your body rejuvenate, and enjoy your sleep.
5. EAT VERY WELL IF YOU HAVE ACCESS TO FOOD.
   If you are blessed to have food in this period, enjoy your meals. It’s a privilege to eat food.
   Beforehand, we were in a rush and could not properly focus on our nutrition. Now, we can sit down at our dining table and eat very well. Also, eat a balanced diet if you are privileged to do so.
   While enjoying your food, remember to bless God and thank Him for providing food for you.
6. READ YOUR BOOKS
   I am referring to those books that have gathered dust in your shelves for a while especially the spiritual books. It is time for you to read them and reduce their use as a decoration for your bookshelf.
   If you happen to have purchased any books two (2) weeks or one month before this incident, it means that God wants you to enjoy those books.
   During this period, read as much as you can because what you read is what you know and what you know will determine what you will be able to do. You can also never do more than what you know.
7. CALL YOUR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS
   It is time for you to reach out to your families, friends, and all those extended family members that you have not been able to reach out to for a long time because you have been genuinely busy.
   No matter how far away they live, now is the time to close the distance with a call. They are at home too and most likely not as busy as before.
   Thank God for the Digital Age and thank God for telephone and telecommunication. This has given us the opportunity to reach out to them through various means and not just the traditional phone call.
   Although we are practicing social distancing at this time, with the help of social media, there is no distance.
8. READ YOUR BIBLE
   If you did not have time to study your Bible for several reasons in former times, the opportunity has arisen for you to study it now. These times, although the pastor preaches on Sunday, you are now the Pastor of your home.
   While reading your Bible: you should study it, take notes, ask questions, write down things you don’t understand, and you can also call your pastor to explain anything you don’t understand.
   You can even do your Bible Study up to two (2) to three (3) times every day now just because you can. This privilege may not come for a long time, so we should have no more excuses.
9. PLEASE ENJOY THIS HOLIDAY
   Pastor E.A. Adeboye, our daddy in the Lord, has told us that God said this period is a “Compulsory Holiday” for the whole world. So why don’t you enjoy this holiday? And it is free too. This is a holiday that you didn’t pay for, so let’s enjoy it.
   Whatever makes you happy (aside from watching the Premier League, La Liga, or European Champion League which you can’t watch at this moment) please start to enjoy it at this time. It is holiday time (a Sabbath) so let’s enjoy it, relax, and have fun at home.
   I also advise that whatever you ordinarily do when you go on vacation, you should do it now. Let’s enjoy this compulsory holiday from God.
10. IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO FORGIVE
    Unforgiveness is one of the things that could stop us from reaching heaven. It is time for you to ask yourself: ‘Is there anybody that I am upset with?’ and ‘Is there anyone that I am deeply angry with? ‘. This period is a time for forgiveness and reconciliation.
    Call anyone you want to forgive and because they are also at home, they will answer your call.
    Start with a simple word of ‘hello’ and you will be surprised that anybody you are upset with, once you call them on the phone and they answer, the bitterness and pain will go away.
    Call the people whom you are angry with and make peace with them now because you never know.
11. GET A BIG NOTEBOOK AND A PEN.
    This Season is a good time to document lessons that you learn in this period. You can use your method of preference to write these lessons on your laptop, notebook, or iPad.
    What we will learn in this period are not ordinary lessons. God is speaking to us and we cannot end this dispensation the same way that we started it. What we learn and glean from this season will help us in the years ahead. Do not be surprised when you start seeing people publish books and produce movies that were inspired from this time. There will be many amazing testimonies of people that will be inspired in this period.
    Don’t keep saying that you don’t know what is going on and that you are unhappy.
    Why are you unhappy?
    You are not in the prison and for that you should be grateful. God is the One who has arranged for you to be able to reflect on your life. If you are complaining, how about those people who are in prison for ten (10) Years, twenty (20) Years, or thirty (30) Years? You are just in your home for two (2) weeks or one (1) Month and you are complaining of boredom and nobody has put chains on your hands or legs.
    You can still move around, you can still eat what you want to eat, you are watching television, you can call your friends and relatives, and you can tell that God is around. Many of those who are locked up in prison even have hope, so you shouldn’t feel hopeless.
    Walk in peace, trust that God is still in Charge, and at the end of it all, we shall laugh last. Change your perspective and gain lessons in this time. You may use it for something that will be able to bless the world, your children, and grandchildren.
12. IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO BOND WITH YOUR FAMILY
    This is the time to reach out to your son or your daughter, if you are blessed with children. If you have a wife/ husband, then this is the time to show them love.
    We have been speaking about love for a long time and even written about it. It is now the time to put love (family love) into practice and talk to each other.
    Admittedly, you had been busy previously with business meetings and attending seminars. Now there are no more business meetings or seminars, so it is now time for you to stay with your wife/husband and remind them that you still love them. Talk to your children, bond with them, eat together, laugh, smile, and play games together. This video was recorded by my last son. He is having fun and even smiling while we are doing this.
    We haven’t had this kind of fun in a long time so I advise you to bond with your family.
13. TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR WARDROBE
    Although this will take some time because many of the clothes you have had gathered dust, look at your wardrobe and you will be amazed about the number of clothes that you have not worn for two (2) years.
    If you have not worn an outfit or accessory in two (2) years, then they are no longer yours. It may belong to someone else who doesn’t have enough clothes.
    It is the time for you to gather them together and give them to someone in need when this Season is over.
    When you give, the same measure will be given to you. Give so that God can replenish your store. Make room for something new to come in.
14. HELP PEOPLE
    Do you have a filled refrigerator? Do you have things to eat in your kitchen?
    Do you have a gas cooker to cook? Did you know that many people don’t have enough food now? Many people are struggling to eat in this period.
    There are so many daily paid workers who have no food to eat in this period because they no longer go out to work.
    So how can you help them?
    If you know anyone in need living close to you, you can drop the food at the front of their house and call them to pick it up.
    If they do not live close to you, this is a time to send some money to them digitally. You can call them on the phone and ask them for their account number. One thousand Naira (N1,000) can make a lot of difference in someone’s life now.
    People are hungry and they need all the help they can get now.
    The money you give someone now (no matter how small it may seem to be) will be a billion times more valuable than giving the same person that same amount when things return to normal.
    Help is more valuable when someone needs it the most so send people food and money. They can be your relatives, friends, church members, police at work, or anyone that you know. Call them and find out if they need help. Remember, “What you have that is more than what you need is for someone else”.
15. IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO PRAY
    Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), therefore engage in prayer in the morning, afternoon, and evening.
    Why should you be praying?
    Because God has given us the opportunity to pray. Don’t say you are tired of prayers. This is the time for vigil (family vigils of prayer). In this time, let your children learn how to pray and let them lead the prayers. Let them do Bible Study by themselves and let them teach you what they know.
    It is also a time for prayers for yourself, for your country, and the whole world. Pray that God will show mercy to the world because this world needs mercy.
    Pray for Divine Intervention and pray that God will give the scientists the ideas to let them discover the solution and the medication that will solve this problem called CORONAVIRUS.
    Pray for those who are sick. Many people you don’t know are sick in the hospital now. Many people you don’t know or may even know are suffering from this Coronavirus all over the world. Pray that God will heal them. Pray that none of them will die again. Pray that there will be no more death all over the world. God will answer us if we pray.

CONCLUSION
In conclusion, I just want to let you know that our daddy in the lord, Pastor E.A. Adeboye (The General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God), has already told us that we shouldn’t be afraid. This is a time for you to have PEACE. He told us we should have peace because God said we should have peace. If God says we should have peace, why are you worried? Have peace and change your perspective.

I want to re-emphasize that you should change the way you are looking at what is going on now, change your perspective, stop seeing it as a punishment, stop murmuring, and stop complaining. This is a time for you to understand that God has been good.
God is still on the throne and at the end of it all, God is still showing HIMSELF as Mighty and God will reflect His power, His glory, His blessing, and His honor in your life and in your family. You will come out better.

At the end of it all, we will all end well and give glory to God. By the Grace of God Almighty, the world will be a better place serving the Lord, loving the Lord and His perfect Holiness will be present in the whole Earth.
Thank you so much my brothers and my sisters and God bless you.
It is well with you in Jesus Name – AMEN!!!

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